


'67 Chevrolet Impala

by christinalyn



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Brotherly Love, Flashbacks, Gen, Impala, Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-20 20:04:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2441264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/christinalyn/pseuds/christinalyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“…This 1967 Chevrolet Impala would turn out to be the most important car – no, the most important object – in pretty much the entire universe.” – Chuck Shurley</p><p>A series of memories based around the car that remained as loyal and important to the boys as they remained to one another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	'67 Chevrolet Impala

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: The quotes in bold were written by the wonderful writers of Supernatural, not by me.

**_“The Impala, of course, has all the things other cars have...and a few things they don't. But none of that stuff's important. This is the stuff that's important.”_ **

"I'm a mechanic," a ten-year-old Dean said, his voice filled with pride. "See? I'm fixing the heater." One by one the boy pushed lego pieces into the vents.

"I'm going to let this army man protect the car," Sam said. "That's how I'm helping." The shaggy haired brunette pushed his toy into the ashtray and his tongue hung out of his mouth as it typically did when he was concentrating really hard. It was his dream to be just like his elder brother (as it typically was for any six-year-old). Dean was his role model; the Batman to his Robin. The plastic figure stuck tight inside and he grinned, feeling accomplished. "I did, Dean.”

"Good job, Sammy. You can be a mechanic too."

Sammy beamed. "Are you almost done?"

"Yep!" Dean put in the final piece then got out of the car. "We should claim the car. In secret, of course." He flipped open his pocket knife and handed it to Sam.

“What are you doing?”

“What we’re doing.” Dean opened up the back door and picked up a piece of the upholstery, revealing the floor below. “Carve your initials.”

“But, Dean, Dad-“

“Do it, Sammy. Dad won’t know. It’ll be our little secret. Brothers forever.”

The younger of the two smiled at Dean and put his pinkie. “Brothers forever,” he echoed back. Their pinked linked and squeezed.

Dean grinned and Sam thought he looked like the sun. Even at six years old, he was smart enough to pray that light never left his brother’s face and eyes. He wished for a lifetime of happiness for his brother. He took the first carve, the sounds of scrapes mixing with the beating of his heart.

 

**_“It never occurred to them that, sure, maybe they never really had a roof and four walls, but they were never, in fact, homeless.”_ **

Sam sat on the front steps of their current motel, his chin resting on his palms, elbows on his knees and a sad look in his eyes. 

Dean walked up behind him and ruffled his hair. “Hey, Sammy, you okay? It’s getting late.” Sam nodded, staying silent. He was sick of moving around. For once he had a good friend. He had someone he could make a long lasting bond with but he knew it was inevitable that any day now they’d have to pack up and go, just as they always did.

Dean crouched in front of him and caught his brother’s eyes. He searched them and immediately knew what Sam was thinking. It was like that with them. It didn’t always take words. They knew each other – they knew each other _well_. He got up and went back into the motel, reemerging a mere half a minute later. “Come on.”

Sam blinked and looked up at him, uncertainly. What were they doing?”

Dean dangled a set of keys in front of his face. “Joy ride.”

The fourteen-year-old’s eyes widened. “Are you insane?”

“That’s beside the point,” Dean said as he walked to the Impala. “You coming?” He got inside and turned the key, the engine roaring to life.

Sam hesitated, the inward argument with himself struggling inside his head.

“I’ll leave without you,” Dean threatened. With a sudden surge of courage, Sam jogged to the car and hopped into the passenger seat.

“That’s a boy, Sammy!”

As the Impala pulled from the parking lot, Sam’s eyes flickered up to the motel sign with disdain. Dean rolled down the window, letting the fall air inside and allowing them to enjoy the beautiful night air. Sam did the same and as they drove the rundown city changed into a suburb and the red, yellow and orange leaves replaced lights and graffiti. Dean flipped on the radio to a song they both enjoyed. The freckle faced teen began to sing along. It didn’t take long for Sam to join in. Then it was only the road, his brother, and song as everything else melted away.

 

**_“Even when Dean rebuilt her from the ground up, he made sure all the little things stayed, ‘cause it’s the blemishes that makes her beautiful.”_ **

“Dammit, Sammy!”

“Stop yelling at me, Dean! You’re making me more nervous!” Sam nearly yelled back as he slammed on the breaks.

“How in the hell does learning to drive scare you?” Dean asked incredulously. “You fight monsters for Christ’s sake!”

“Yeah, well, now I’m driving with one,” the younger brother grumbled under his breath. “Dad’s going to kill me if I get even a tiny scratch on his car.”

“ _I’m_ going to kill you if you get even a tiny scratch on his car.” Dean was protective of the car. He loved her and one day she would belong to him so his baby needed to stay in mint condition.

Sam pumped the gas then hit the brake hard.

“Sam!”

“STOP YELLING!”

“Yelling at me to not yell at you is counter protective.”

Sam growled and grumbled then pressed the gas, letting the car roll forward. He slowly increased the speed making the ride smooth for the first time since they’d started. A small amount of tension released and he felt Dean relax just a tiny bit. The car rounded around the lot again and Sam smiled. “This isn’t so hard.” He sped up and turned again, this time rounding around a lamppost. All at once he lost control and a scrapping sound pervaded the air. Sam’s eyes widened and his heart stopped. Oh shit. Dean immediately jumped out of the car and Sam braced himself for the screaming as his brother ran to the back left side of the car. There was a giant scratch in the otherwise perfect paint job. Anger flashed through him and he took in a big breath, ready to go off on him. However, his eyes caught sight of the army man and he moved his gaze to the front seat to where Sam looked like he was going to cry. 

Dean slowly released the breath and he chanted “It’s only a car; he’s my brother” over and over in his head. After a few minutes he got back in the passenger seat. “Let’s try again.”

To this day, if you look closely enough you’ll see a tiny remnant of the scratch that Dean had decided not to completely paint over. It was a memory and memories should be preserved.

 

**_“Endings are hard. Any chapped-ass monkey with a keyboard can poop out a beginning, but endings are impossible. You can try to tie up every loose end, but you never can.”_ **

Dean put the car into park in front of the bus station and a silence fell between them. Goodbyes were hard, no matter what the situation. Sam was leaving the family business – leaving the family – to join the college life at Stanford. After all they’d been through and after all Dean had done for him, Sam just didn’t need his older brother anymore. The days of reading to him with various voices, pillow fights and warding away nightmares had been long gone and now the days of sharing a beer and a laugh, pranking one another and joy rides were gone too.

“Dad is going to be upset that you’re leaving.” _I’m upset that you’re leaving_ , he thought the words that he’d never say ringing in his head.

“You know that’s not true. He’ll be happy. I have to go or I’ll miss my bus.”

Dean looked at him. “See you later,” he said. He wasn’t good with goodbyes. His eyes took in Sam’s face and he felt the phrase he couldn’t say. _I love you._

Sam looked back. “Me too,” he said as if reading his mind. Then he retrieved his backpack from the back and just like that he was gone.

Dean started the car and drove away. The Impala had never felt so cold and alone.

 

**_“And when it was clear, they’d park her in the middle of nowhere, sit on the hood and watch the stars for hours without saying a word.”_ ******

Dean drove the Impala into a field and slowly rolled to a stop. With all the stresses of the job they deserved a few breaks now and then. Some people went to the movies, some went on a tropical vacation and some vegged on the couch with a remote and a beer. Sam and Dean watched the stars. It was their thing - their solace. No matter now bad or how big of a fight they’d had or how injured they were in the moment, all of it disappeared when they looked up at the sky. The lights twinkled and words were not needed. Sam counted them while Dean found the constellations. Every now and then they glanced at one another, seeing how the stars illuminated each other’s faces or how they reflected in their eyes. 

It wasn’t until Dean’s stomach growled that he spoke. “I need some pie.” 

"You have a serious pie problem,” Sam said with an eye roll and an exasperated tone. 

"You have a serious nerd problem." 

"Jerk.” 

“Bitch.” 

But when the elder brother looked at his younger, he caught him smiling…and that’s exactly what Dean did it for. 

**_EPILOGUE_ **

****

The Impala raced down the highway, the radio blared classic rock while the brothers fought over the volume. They could go anywhere – do anything. It was what true freedom tasted like. 

****

One day the Impala would break down and cease to exist, but the memories would remain in their hearts forever. After all, they only really needed one another, right? 

****

The engine revved and the legos rattled. 

****

And the brothers? 

****

The brothers….they smiled. 

****


End file.
